Feren OS

Overview

Feren OS is a free, open-source Linux distribution based on Ubuntu LTS, using a pseudo-rolling release model. Designed with user-friendliness, aesthetics, and ease of migration from Windows as core principles, it's suitable for both new and intermediate users. Developed by British developer Erik Dubois and hosted at ferenos.weebly.com, it supports the x86_64 architecture and is suitable for desktops and laptops. It ships with the KDE Plasma desktop environment by default (earlier versions supported Cinnamon). Feren OS emphasizes simplicity, stability, and customization, offering the Calamares graphical installer and the apt package manager. It comes pre-installed with the Vivaldi browser, LibreOffice, KDE Connect, and other software. It also supports Flatpak and Snap.

History and Development

• Origins:
  • 2015: The Feren OS project was launched by Erik Dubois, initially based on Linux Mint, with the goal of providing Windows users with a beautiful, easy-to-use Linux alternative.
  • An early version was called LinuxFX, later renamed Feren OS.
• Development History:
  • 2015: Feren OS 2015.10 was released, based on Linux Mint 17.3 and introducing the KDE Plasma desktop.
  • December 2019: Feren OS 2019.12 was released, debuting with KDE Plasma as the default desktop and based on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS.
  • 2020: Feren OS 2020.07 was based on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS and featured improved themes and stability. - 2022: Feren OS 2022.07, based on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, introduces more KDE extensions.
  • December 2024: Feren OS 2024.12 released, based on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, featuring kernel 6.5, optimized KDE Plasma 5.27, and Wayland support.
• Community and Support:
  • Maintained by Erik Dubois and the community, hosted on ferenos.weebly.com, GitHub, and forums (forum.ferenos.com).
  • Supports English and some Chinese (via KDE Settings). Documentation covers installation and KDE customization.
  • Reddit users call Feren OS "the perfect starting point for KDE newbies."
• Open Source License:
  • GPL v3 (core), MIT (some tools).

Key Features

Feren OS is built around the customization, rolling updates, and user-friendly KDE Plasma platform, perfect for desktop users. Here are its key features:

1. KDE Plasma Desktop
   • Default KDE Plasma 5.27, highly customizable themes, icons, and extensions, with Wayland support.
2. Rolling Updates
   • Rolling updates based on Ubuntu LTS ensure the latest software.
3. Pre-installed Software
   • Pre-installed Vivaldi browser, LibreOffice, and KDE Connect, with support for Flatpak and Snap.
4. Hardware Compatibility
   • Supports x86_64, with low requirements (1 GHz CPU, 1 GB RAM, 10 GB disk). Kernel 6.5 is compatible with Intel, AMD, and Nvidia.
5. Security and Privacy
   • The ufw firewall is enabled by default, with ZFS support.
6. Development Support
   • Pre-installed Python 3 and Git, with support for Flatpak and Snap.

Advantages and Limitations

Advantages

• User-Friendliness:
  • KDE Plasma's custom interface is superior to Voyager Linux's GNOME.
  • X's post claims, "Feren OS 2024.12's KDE makes migration seamless."
• Rolling Updates:
  • Latest software, superior to the fixed versions of Linux Lite.
• KDE Ecosystem:
  • Rich extensions, suitable for Krita and ONLYOFFICE.
• Community Support:
  • Active forum with KDE tutorials.
• Low Requirements:
  • Suitable for older hardware, superior to the high-configuration features of Qubes OS.

Limitations

• Based on Ubuntu LTS:
  • Updates are slower than Artix Linux's rolling updates.
• Community Size:
  • Smaller than Arch Linux, with limited Chinese documentation.
• Limited ARM support:
  • The ARM version is a beta release and not as good as Raspberry Pi OS.

Summary

Feren OS is a free, open-source Linux distribution based on Ubuntu LTS. The latest version, 2024.12 (December 2024), is based on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and features KDE Plasma 5.27 and kernel 6.5, supporting the x86_64 architecture. It focuses on rolling updates, user-friendliness, and KDE customization, including apt package management. Feren OS's KDE ecosystem and migration-friendliness are prominent, but updates are slow based on LTS.